Final answer:
If there's no time to type a critically injured patient's blood, O negative blood is transfused, and if both wells agglutinate with anti-A and anti-B, the patient's blood type is AB positive.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a nurse suspects a transfusion reaction during a blood transfusion, they should immediately stop the transfusion to prevent any further adverse reaction. The nurse should then maintain IV access by replacing the blood bag with a saline solution, using new tubing; this ensures that if urgent administration of medications or fluids is required, IV access is not lost. Following the halting of the transfusion, the nurse should notify the physician and follow hospital protocols, which often include monitoring the patient closely, conducting tests to identify the reaction precisely, and initiating appropriate treatment.
38. In a critical situation where there is no time to determine the patient's blood type, O negative blood is most often transfused. This is because O negative blood is considered the universal donor and is least likely to cause an immune response in the majority of patients.
39. The blood technician did not make an error if both wells showed agglutination after adding anti-A and anti-B antibodies; this indicates that the patient's blood contains both A and B antigens. Therefore, the blood type of the patient is AB positive, which is a normal response for individuals with this blood type.